Afterburn [Hardcover]

S. L. Viehl (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bio Rescue | Publication Date: August 2, 2005

After driving their mutual enemy out of the Pmoc quadrant, the Allied League of Worlds gather for a peace summit on K-2, the homeworld of the underwater-dwelling 'Zangians. With the Bio Rescue team assigned to protect the delegates, Sub-Lieutenant Burn mu Znora's attention is placed on the daughter of one of the ambassadors, who is hiding a deadly secret-a secret that may alter the fate of four worlds.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Deliciously aquatic, creepy-crawly aliens abound in Viehl's latest Stardoc installment, which centers on a tricky peace conference held on the undersea-dwelling 'Zangians' home planet following the expulsion of the nasty reptilian Hsktskt slavers from Pmoc Quadrant. SEAL biotech augmentation has added lungs to some 'Zangians' gills, and nine-feet-tall ultra-aggressive fighter pilot trainee Burn mu Znora swims gallantly in the flipper strokes of his intrepid cousin and commander, Jadaira, the heroine of Bio Rescue (2004). Burn takes on an assortment of conniving otherworlders and falls desperately in love with the lovely Liana, whose Ylyd ambassador mother wants Burn neutered. Even though Viehl invests her aliens with predictable human passions and prejudices, this interplanetary romp offers wave after wave of surging action and a climactic tsunami of unmaskings and reversals in the name of tolerance and understanding.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

With the Hsktskt slavers defeated, a peace summit is to commence on the 'Zangian homeworld. Sublieutenant Burn, after an embarrassingly disastrous training mission, is eager to prove himself. When a ship of the aquatic Ylydii is attacked en route, he has a perfect opportunity. His BioRescue unit is sent to police the event, and Burn gets the excuse he wants to stay close to Liana, the Ylydii ambassador's daughter. As the summit continues, it becomes clear that someone is out to sabotage it, and that something strange is going on among the Ylydii. Not just among them, though, for there remain complications from conflict with the slavers and from interspecies tension, the latter including problems faced by a human new to the 'Zangian homeworld, trying to keep the former Skartesh cult members happy, and the little matter of escaped Hlagg insects and some unforeseen side effects. Like previous volumes in Viehl's League of Allied Worlds saga, Afterburn is an entertaining adventure and a surprisingly thoughtful look at the ways greatly different species might interact. Regina Schroeder
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Roc Hardcover; First Edition edition (August 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451460294
• ISBN-13: 978-0451460295
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,708,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sequel to Bio Rescue has more fuel than you think, September 28, 2005

By 

Schtinky "Schtinky" (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Afterburn (Hardcover)

Anyone familiar with S.L. Viehl's works will be happy to be returning to the planet K-2, and reacquainting themselves with the 'Zangians, the aquatic natives of K-2. While 'StarDoc' introduced us to K-2, 'Bio Rescue' was Viehl's first book to focus on the 'Zangians. 'Afterburn' is much more than a continuation of 'Bio Rescue', it's a stand alone story that brings back old friends and introduces us to some new ones.

Byorn mu Znora, 'Burn' to his friends, is the best gunner in the Bio Rescue fleet, training to become a pilot. Burn is young, big, and often reckless, a perfect candidate to guard the Ylydii Ambassador and her daughter, Liana. The Ylydii are also aquatics, arriving at K-2 along for a Peace Summit with the 'Zangians, the Skartesh, and the people of Ninra.

As Peace Summits go, this one has more than its share of problems, each race with their own ideas of what type of deal to strike. While the main plot revolves around the Summit, there are many intriguing subplots woven into the storyline, which Viehl will expertly tie together in the end.

Returning are old friends Jadaira, Burn's cousin, and her mate Onkar, Administrator Ana Hansen and Dr. William Mayer, Major Shon Valtas from the Skartesh incident, Jadaira's 'Zangian father Dairatha and his human mate Dr. Teresa Selmar.

I found myself particularly drawn to new character Emily Kim from Earth, who forms an unlikely alliance with Omorr pathologist Dr. Hkyrim.

S.L. Viehl's ability to breathe life into this alien world and its alien life forms are what separates her work from the rest of the bunch and elevates it far above any genre restrictions. She is able to tell a humanitarian story using characters who are fully fleshed out and genuine, and paints the world of K-2 with such vivid colors that I wish I could purchase a one-way ticket there.

I highly recommend this book, along with all of Viehl's other works. Enjoy!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sequel to Bio Rescue, August 26, 2005

By 

Detra Fitch (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Afterburn (Hardcover)

Jadaira "Dair" now looks different from her species. She is melded with DNA of 'Zangian and Terran. Her pilot mate, Onkar, still considers her to be his entire world though. Dair was one of the main characters in the previous book, "Bio Rescue". She has large secondary parts in this novel, but the multiple layered plot has several other main characters this time.

Sublieutenant Byorn "Burn" mu Znora may be Jadaira's cousin, but she is his superior in rank and cuts him no slack. He wants to pilot Rescue Three of the 'Zangian SEALS, but his wishes must wait. Their planet, Kevarzangia Two "K-2", is hosting a Peace Summit between the races of Ninrana, Ylydii, and Skartesh. K-2 is home to multiple races of water breathers, as well as, air breathers. A few aquatics have been altered so they can breath air for several hours before needing to submerge back into water.

The Peace Summit is causing Administrator Ana Hansen to guzzle down coffee as if it was water. By luck, her brand new assistant, Emily Kim, is a miracle and helps keep Ana sane and the work flowing smoothly. Emily's best friend is a male Omorr (insect-like race) named Hkyrim. Terran's have a bad reputation (due to the Terrans who spit on people they did not like). Therefore, Emily is shunned by most of the life forms living on K-2. A Terran and Omorr being friends has never happened before. Hkyrim works with the medical examiner, in the morgue. Unknown to Ana, this friendship makes Emily even more valuable to her department, as well as, to K-2. Some recent bodies from Ambassador Carada's ship seem to have died from poison. Hkyrim wishes to study the ship for traces, but the ME refused to approve it. Emily, as the Administer Assistant CAN give the warrant. Good thing too. The "virus" is special and attacks only certain types of beings. Not only is the Peace Summit in jeopardy, but all aquatic life on K-2.

Meanwhile, the Mogshrikes in the water (they make our sharks look like kittens) are acting oddly. So is a hive of Barax on the land. All Hades is about to break loose. <P(...)

1.0 out of 5 stars disappointing, October 21, 2010

By 

Feles31 (Honolulu, HI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Afterburn (Hardcover)

Looks like I am the odd man out here so far.

Burn was such a great guy in the first novel --- it made me wish I had a cousin like that. Which is why it was such a disappointment that 1) this story was so dull and 2) he ended up with someone so unworthy of him!